Apr 15, 2011

Tanjong Pagar - Blog the Walk

The above photo dated 26/9/1964. Description: "The crowd of onlookers during opening of Maxwell Road Outpatient Clinic at Kadayanallur Street". Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS).

At a kelong with my former colleagues at Maxwell Road OPD in the 1970s.

The "Then" photos above and below are memorable photos with the coutesy of the National Archives of Singapore, without which I could not have the "memory aids" to blog about my first job and the people to work with.

Below: The Maxwell Outpatient Clinic's Dispensary for distribution of medicine and pharmacy to patients.

The expression ‘walk the talk’ means you do what you ask other people to do or what you promised to do. There are a few variations on the theme, but they all come down to this: practice what you preach!

"Walk the Talk" is being consistent: say something and then do what you said you would. ‘Talk the walk’ is when you act first and then follow it up with words consistent with your actions.

A few weeks ago, I spent an early morning until the late afternoon at Tanjong Pagar for a photoshoot to capture memories of my personal blog. The related blog topic on "3D-Blog: Tanjong Pagar Then and Now" .

During lunch, I had a meetup with my 40 years colleague Robin Chong at the Kreta Ayer Food Centre. Walking down memory lane my first job in the civil service, Robin's chitchat triggers our memories of our places and people we encounter over 4 decades.

He is now a healthy and contented grandfather who travelled widely on holidays.

Robin was my supervisor at the Maxwell Road Outpatpatient Clinic at Kadayanallur Street (the then and now photos above).

A hill once stood in the vicinity of Maxwell Road. Called Mount Erskine, it was named after J.J. Erskine, a member of the Penang government council, who probably resided on this hill in 1824. However, popular belief, perhaps erroneous, ascribes Mount Erskine to Mr Samuel Erskine of Howarth Erskine & Co., a well-known engineering firm of the 1870s. Erskine Hill was subsequently acquired and developed by Chia Ann Siang, owner of Ann Siang Hill, in the late 19th century.

Mount Erskine is best known for health and social welfare services. After the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945), malnutrition and tuberculosis were at their highest levels, especially amongst children. To combat this, the Social Welfare Department started meal centres at several locations on the island, one of which was at Mount Erskine. Volunteer groups providing basic education skills began offering their services near the meal centres, reaching out to the large groups of needy children who gathered there. St. Andrew's Mission Hospital was at Erskine Road from 1923 to 1948. Today, the mission runs a community hospital on eliot road in the eastern area of Singapore.

Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS)

Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS)

This old building at the junction of Erskine Road and Ann Siang Road has a personal history related to me as a young boy many years ago. While he was still alive and we went for dinner at Chinatown, my late father pointed at this building and said: "When I left Quemoy, China in a little boat at Boat Quay in the 1930s, I rented a tiny shared room with a few co-workers in this building".

Surreal...memories...father and son...same place, different times, different journey, now in different "worlds". If only he could share his personal blog about his life as an immigrant to Singapore. My father was a man of few words but with forlorn thoughts of fond feelings.

Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS)

Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS)

Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS)

Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS)

Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS)

Source: National Archives of Singapore (NAS)

Above & Below: Mr and Mrs Tan Ah Bah, owners of Lian Cheng Coffee Stall at Maxwell Road Food Centre. They were moved from the Boat Quay Food Centre beside the Singapore River allocated by the Hawkers Department.

Mr Ng Kok Hua, the owner of "China Street Fritter" at 64, Market Food Centre is the son of the famous original special Hokkien dishes (with few items I sampled on a "gunny string lunchtime budget" for the photo below). This secret recipe known famous on China Street for over 80 years has a long story...

The vanishing trade barber backlane at Club Street.

This photo at the junction of Ann Siang Road and South Bridge Road cic 1970. The Malaya Coffee Shop with my favorite chicken rice during daily lunch at $1.50. Cheap and good!

To add to what Peter has shared with us, I remember there were many lorries parking infront of the former wet market unloading their goods, i.e. along the Maxwell Rd side (loading/unloading bay) in the 1960s. I also recall there was a Tamil school near to the market.

I remember visiting that Outpatient clinic a couple of times. I think the Maxwell wet market is no more. A friend used to recommend that old wet market for good live crabs. When Batey Ads (famous for the Singapore Girls Ad) came to Singapore, it occupied a prestigious spot at 28 Ann Siang Rd. Well, it moved out soon after losing SIA.

It was interesting to note that this Maxwell Road Outpatient Clinic had a similar design with the old Tung Shin Hospital(Chinese Department) at Jalan Pudu in KL. Do you know which year this type of design was most prevalent?